


Music Notes In The Air

by pinstripedoc



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-21
Updated: 2012-12-21
Packaged: 2017-11-21 20:32:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/601779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinstripedoc/pseuds/pinstripedoc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sleepless night leads to an innocent idea, and many questions on the part of an inquisitive AI.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Music Notes In The Air

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DivineMadness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DivineMadness/gifts).



A tinny little tune, an ancient one from before humans began to make the journey into space, could be heard coming from somewhere close by. North paused for a moment, listening, and after that moment passed, a small, melancholic smile worked its way onto his face. He recognized the song, and from the sound quality, it must have been from someone's datapad.  
  
“ _What is that noise?_ ” asked the child-like voice in his head.  
  
Quietly, he turned and began to walk away, one hand slipping into the pocket of his pajama bottoms. He _had_ planned on trying to get some sleep again after taking a little walk around the barracks to help settle Theta, but now he had a different idea. Besides, he knew when he answered this question, it would lead to a whole slew of them, so sleep wasn't going to be an option for a good while.  
  
“ _North?_ ” the AI asked again a few seconds later. There was an eager anxiousness tugging slightly at the edges of his mind. It didn't hurt; he knew the last thing the AI—especially his—couldn't harm their host's minds just from being incredibly inquisitive.  
  
He stifled a yawn as he opened his mouth to reply. “Just a sec, Theta,” he said gently. He stretched his arms wide, stepping around a corner. The hallway was empty, giving him a straight shot without interruption to the mess hall. Absently he scratched a spot on the nape of his neck, fingers brushing against the implant's exterior plate as he did so. He barely noticed it these days. Sure, it had hurt after the operation, but he was expecting it to. Nothing like that came without a little pain. And the loss of sleep was something he could deal with. Reminded him of earlier, simpler times in a way...  
  
A few minutes later, his soft footsteps announced his arrival to the mess hall. A couple soldiers sat in a far corner, no doubt fresh from guard duty elsewhere. He heard one of them joke about something they'd heard in the motorpool, but he tuned them out as he fixed himself a cup of coffee. They didn't pay him any mind, nor did he in return.  
  
“That 'noise',” he began finally, cracking open a small container of creamer, “was actually a song. Hadn't heard it in a long time, either.”  
  
It was as though the floodgates had been opened as the pressure of an impatient energy melted away from his mind. “ _A song? What kind of song? Why did it make you sad, North? How come you couldn't say anything before? Wh—?_ ”  
  
“Haha, okay...” He held up a placating hand in hopes of stemming the oncoming stream of questions. He settled himself in a corner far from the other soldiers, setting his mug down on the metal table. “One thing at a time.” Of course, there was the not-so-simple matter of _where_ to begin.  
  
The little AI's holographic form appeared on the table before him. Theta sat cross-legged, his elbows propped on his thighs and head resting on his hands as he looked up at North. That was new. Usually he had his skateboard, or some other toy, out to occupy him—at least when they were alone. He was getting better about not being as shy around people who weren't York, Wash, and his sister, though to be fair, North sometimes felt that Theta tried his hardest not to hide when he was around South, especially if a mission hadn't gone quite the way she hoped. He appreciated that. He knew she was still a bit miffed from the whole rank thing a while ago, and his getting an AI without her receiving one as well hadn't helped. A part of him thought it odd. So far, everyone and everything in the program had treated them the same, even giving them the same shades of colored armor. Why did they break the trend?  
  
It was a thought he'd have to save for a later time. Thankfully, Theta hadn't caught on to that train of thought yet. That was one he'd like to keep to himself.  
  
“I didn't want to let her know we'd been eavesdropping,” he said after taking a sip of coffee. It was on that side of “too hot” for his tastes, but it gave him a moment to think of a starting point. “It's kinda rude, and I don't suggest we make a habit of it.”  
  
“ _But you do it all the time,_ ” the AI retorted, somewhat chastened by the notion that he had been rude. “ _You did it just now with them._ ” Theta pointed at the motorpool soldiers. They were so deep into their conversation, they didn't even notice a purple-ish AI construct gesturing at them. “ _And what's a—?_ ”  
  
Again, North cut him off, knowing just what he was going to ask. “I'll explain _that_ when you're a little older.” He took a long sip while Theta's shoulders slumped a bit.  
  
“Anyway, that song... Theta, what do you know about holidays?”  
  
That perked the AI back up. “ _I know that they're special events that are sometimes held for arbitrary, special, or religious reasons, and sometimes they overlap with others! And other times, people don't even get to take time off to celebrate it but are expected to be generous and happy anyway._ ”  
  
“...I, yeah, something like that.” He'd been expecting a very clinical reply for some reason. Perhaps he'd been hanging around York and Delta too much lately. “Have you heard of one called 'Christmas'?”  
  
Theta nodded, jumping to his feet. “ _Yep! That's the one with the tree, a big guy made of jello, and lots of presents and snow, right?_ ” As he spoke, tiny flecks of holographic snow began to fall around him.  
  
“That's the one!” he said jovially, letting out a laugh. “The song we heard was a Christmas song. It was one of my favorites growing up.”  
  
The AI had stooped over to scoop up some of the snow, making it into a snowball in his hands, but as North finished speaking, he stood up straight, head tilted curiously. “ _If you liked it so much, why did it make you sad?_ ”  
  
North felt his ears turn red and hot as he glanced away and shrugged. He'd kinda been hoping Theta wouldn't go back to that question. “It's nothing... Don't worry about it, all right?”  
  
Theta tossed the snowball in his hands a few times, making it very clear he didn't really believe that answer. “I'm fine, trust me. I got to hear it again, and that's fine for me.” He gave Theta a reassuring smile, but he wasn't so sure he bought it. In truth, he didn't quite buy it himself. The last time he heard that song was not too long before he and his sister left home.  
  
“Listen, there's something I'd like you to do for me, Theta.”  
  
“ _Yeah?_ ” Theta dropped his snowball, propping his hands on his hips. “ _What is it, North?_ ”  
  
“In the morning," he began a moment later, "let's play that song for South. She'd...she'd like it. I'll teach it to you, okay? It's not too hard to learn. Hell, you'll probably be better at it than me in no time.”  
  
Theta considered it for a moment, but nodded. “ _Okay!_ ” The little AI tapped its chin for a second, then a bright red bow appeared on the top its head. “ _Think she'd like this too?_ ”  
  
North smiled broadly, warmly this time. Theta never ceased to amaze him. “Yeah, definitely," he said with a proud chuckle.  
  
If there was one thing he could give his sister for Christmas, it'd be that. And it wouldn't have to be from an old datapad recording like that. They hadn't exchanged gifts in years, not really, not since that last Christmas. There was just no time, and little room for personal possessions, even if they are gifts. She'd probably give him a look for eavesdropping because surely it'd edge on the coincidental and she'd figure it out, but he'd deal with that when the time came. Just to see her smile, even for a second, would make him feel happy in return.  
  
And that was a gift enough in itself.


End file.
